Numerical Study of the Flow over Broad-Crested Weirs by a Mesh-Free Method

Abstract

The mesh-free method, moving particle semi-implicit method (MPS), has become a useful numerical tool in simulating free-surface flows. Broad-crested weirs are considered as a common hydraulic structure and have been experimentally investigated in the literature. As the free-surface flow, the broad-crested weir flow is investigated from the numerical perspective by using MPS in this study. The numerical method is first validated by a broad-crested weir flow and subsequently applied to simulate various configurations of broad-crested weirs. In the simulations, a set of flow discharges and upstream face slopes are investigated. The flow characteristics, including free-surface profiles, locations of the critical depth, velocity distributions, and the discharge coefficient, are studied. The numerical results show good agreement with experimental measurements, and the method is capable of being extended to further investigate alternative flow configurations.